When I called San Diego home, I quickly came to realize how much San Diegans loved fish tacos. They had to be of a certain quality; preferably a white fish that is coated in flour and fried. Shredded cabbage is added, a white sauce is drizzled on top, then salsa is applied as desired. This is known as “Baja-style Fish Tacos”.
Until Baja California Fish Tacos opened, my favorite place to enjoy fish tacos was Sabor in Oxnard, yes Oxnard. In fact, I asked my family to take me out to Sabor on Father’s Day a couple of years ago. That’s how good their fish tacos are.
Baja California Fish Tacos is located on the corner of Artesia and Inglewood Ave. in Lawndale. The parking lot has about 10 spaces and it fills up fast. That corner has been a number of different restaurants over the years: KFC, Hong Kong Express and Antonio’s. Hopefully Baja California Fish Tacos is here for the long haul.
Like many small restaurants, they only provide counter service. While fish tacos is their signature dish, they also offer ceviche, burritos, sopes, tortas and soups. In addition to soft drinks, Baja California Fish Tacos also has self service beverage machines that offer horchata, limonada and other non-carbonated Mexican drinks.
The fish in their fish tacos have a crisp exterior and are very soft and moist inside. The finely shredded cabbage provides some additional crunchiness and the mayonnaise / crema based white sauce elevates the taste to a satisfying experience.
The tostada mixta is beautifully presented. Like other nearby mariscos restaurants, they use imitation crab instead of the real thing. I thought they added a bit too much lime juice for my liking. I prefer to be able to taste the fish instead of being overwhelmed by lime flavor.
On a recent trip there, I had the Caldo mixto for lunch. Upon ordering, I was warned that I would have to wait approximately 15 minutes before the soup would be ready. I was not disappointed with the outcome. They included plenty of seafood: shrimp, fish, octopus, clam and crab. In addition, chopped celery, carrots and onions were added for seasoning and to thicken the broth. The end result was delicious.
On Wednesdays, they lower the price of fish tacos to only $1.19 per taco. Given how difficult it is to park in their lot on other days, I don’t intend on attempting to visit them that day. As it is, their food is quite the bargain and the restaurant is worth returning to on a regular basis.
Baja California Fish Taco
- 4749 Artesia Blvd, Lawndale, CA 90260; (310) 793-9073
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baja_california_fish_tacos/